Tampa (Fla.) Plant tight end Austin Roberts is widely considered one of the top prospects in the state of Florida in the Class of 2014.
On Sunday, he learned he had picked up an offer from the Florida Gators, but he learned about the news in a much different way than usual.
“Coach (Will) Muschamp offered me,” Roberts said via text. “Well, it was kind of came from him. Actually, my dad (Alfredo Roberts, an assistant coach for the Indianapolis Colts) and him were at a convention in Dallas and that’s where he told my pops about the offer.
“So, in a way it was from coach Muschamp. Lol.”
That’s exactly how Roberts texted it, hence the “Lol” at the end. In text speak, that’s “Laugh Out Loud,” for those who didn’t know.
This offer gives the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Roberts 11 scholarship offers with Indiana, Miami and Stanford headlining the list, to go along with Florida.
The offer from the Florida football program is extra special for the Plant prospect.
“This is the offer every player in Florida dreams about,” Roberts said. “I feel so bless(ed) to have finally received one.”
A current Florida resident, Roberts will not be in the state of Florida much longer. He’s planning to move to Indianapolis on June 13 after his father recently took a job with the Colts, leaving his former gig with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Even though he will not be at Plant High, UF tight end coach Derek Lewis has insured Roberts he will visit him in Indianapolis.
“He told me he will personally fly up to see me play,” Roberts said. “That means a lot to me that he cares that much to fly all the way up there.”
Roberts’ father is also a tight end coach, so Roberts will have no lack of coaching when it comes to playing the position in college.